Keynote Speaker Phil Lempert and Strategic Partnerships
Fuel Growth for 2007 World Tea Expo

Las Vegas, NV, February 5, 2007-The World Tea Expo--taking place in Atlanta, June 9, 10, and 11 at the Georgia World Congress Center --has experienced record-breaking registration numbers for attendees and exhibitors alike.  Not only are pre-registration rates up 38% over last year, but the exhibit hall is nearly sold out.  The Tea Industry's  Premier Marketplace is bigger than ever at 30,000 net square feet of exhibit space, nearly 300 exhibitors, and over 5,000 buyers expected. "It is the defining event shaping the next 12 months of the industry" says Kim Jage, World Tea Expo VP of Sales & Marketing.  
 
An Inspiring Start to the World Tea Expo
The conference will get off to an entertaining and thought-provoking start with keynote speaker Phil Lempert, best known as the Supermarket Guru® and food trends editor and correspondent for NBC's Today Show. He is a leading expert on the retail environment and new marketing trends, and has an uncanny ability to identify and explain trends to both consumers and industry professionals. Lempert will be conducting a major consumer panel survey, the results of which he will discuss in his presentation on opening night.
 
In his address, 2007 Tea Trends: The World, Your Customers and Your Business, Lempert will empower the audience with in-depth insight and consumer panel results on just how, why, and when people consume tea.  He will focus on major consumer buying trends and how members of the tea business can make the most of them.  Attendees will learn more about the phenomena of the "aging baby boomer" and "America the Green," the way handheld devices and RFID technologies are altering the buying environment; changing health and wellness issues; why advertising to the masses is over, and how to evolve with the times. 
 
A Gathering of Key Players
The World Tea Expo collaborates with major players in the worldwide tea industry to make this a definitive tea event.  George Jage, World Tea Expo President & Co-Founder notes, "our strong relationship with these industry influencers and major publications continues to provide greater leverage to the commercial market the Expo creates."
 
Mintel (Platinum Sponsor) is one of the world's leading consumer intelligence and research companies.  Lynn Dornblaser, Mintel's well-known research presenter, will co-present "Super Trends," a fast-moving data-packed workshop with Brian Keating, Founder of Sage Group Int'l LLC and publisher of The Specialty Tea is "Hot" ReportT.
 
For over 25 years, American Botanical Council (Gold Sponsor) founder and president Mark Blumenthal has been committed to providing reliable, scientifically sound information about medicinal herbs to healthcare professionals and the public.  The ABC has collaborated with the World Tea Expo to provide content for the free World Tea News e-newsletter.  Blumenthal will be part of the Hot Topics Super Panel, where industry heavyweights and pioneers weigh in on the hottest topics in the tea industry today.
 
The Tea Association of the USA continues to support the growth of the Expo as the Marquis Sponsor.  In lieu of its annual convention, the Tea Association will host an international networking gathering prior to the opening of the Expo.  Additionally, Tea Association President Joe Simrany will participate in the World Tea Expo Educational Conference with a seminar on Demystifying the Health Benefits of Tea. 
 
In the Tea Board of India's (Gold Sponsor) pavilion spanning 14 booths, attendees can become acquainted with the many products of the world's leading tea producer.  A Focused Tasting workshop will allow participants to taste the vast range of flavor profiles from the well-known regions of Darjeeling, Assam, and Nilgiri.  The Sri Lanka Tea Board (Gold Sponsor) will have a pavilion in the expo hall covering 10 booths and will lead a Focused Tasting to explore the varied flavor profiles of Ceylon teas from Kandy to Uva to Dimbula.  The Tea Association of Canada proudly continues its participation and promotion with the World Tea Expo this year as well. 
 
The World Tea Expo's additional Gold Sponsors include Gourmet News, Beverage Spectrum Magazine, Hotel F & B Executive, Fresh Cup Magazine, Tea Experience Digest, and Tea A Magazine.
 
Tea Ceremonies and Workshop by the Ura Senke Foundation
New this year at the World Tea Expo is a special workshop series from the Ura Senke Foundation--preserving the Japanese cultural tradition of "The Way of Tea" (or Chado) for centuries.  The Ura Senke Foundation will share "The Way of Tea," a special two-part workshop under the direction of tea master Matsumoto Sosei and sponsored by leading matcha tea wholesaler AIYA America Inc. (Gold Sponsor). The workshop will present the philosophy surrounding The Way of Tea, in-depth education on the tea ceremony, and how to identify true matcha.  There will also be two performances of the Japanese Tea Ceremony conducted in the Special Events area on the exhibit hall floor open to all attendees.
 
Registration for the World Tea Expo is open now.  Registrants will save 20% before March 30.  To register, to sign up to receive the World Tea News, or to find more information on the World Tea Expo--including the floor plan, an interactive directory of exhibitors, and a full listing of events and seminars--visit the website, www.worldteaexpo.com.